The Importance of Being Earnest

Rating:
Summary: Victorian Wit and Humor at it's Best
Review: The "Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde is a marvelous play that still holds it humor to this day. It's ludicrous dialogue and extravagant style makes for a remarkable read. Some of the language is difficult to read in our modern vocabulary, but the humor of the story is very well conveyed. Superficiality, humor and a distinctly Victorian wit makes the "Importance of Being Earnest" a very easy play to enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: The epitome of wit
Review: The Importance of Being Earnest is probably one of the funniest works I have ever been witness to; it definitely takes the cake when it comes to plays. The witty English humor is practically side splitting when read, so i can imagine how well it works when actually preformed on stage or film. The characters are so perfectly created within their aristocratic society. Lady Bracknell is the epitome of a lady and her humor, though she is not trying to be funny, is classic. The words do all the work. The characters just speak and as long as the lines are taken/given as canversationalthe entire play is nonstop laughs. The satire dealing with issues of class, love, money, and character has probably never been written as subtle or as well as Wilde has done with this play. The plot is humorous in its self. The whole concept of "Burnburying" to get around your obligations as a Gentleman and the problems it causes for Algernon and Jack. The shifty love story that carries the play is at times unbelievable but if you consider the farcicalnature of the play it is easily overlooked. The ending, although I won't give it away, is another classic example of a well written play. The twists and turns along the way that end up confronting the truth make the finish well worth your time. That's not to say that the rest of the play isn't great. If you're a fan of this type of comedy I would highly recommend not only buying this book but seeing it preformed as well.

Rating:
Summary: The epitome of wit
Review: The Importance of Being Earnest is probably one of the funniest works I have ever been witness to; it definitely takes the cake when it comes to plays. The witty English humor is practically side splitting when read, so i can imagine how well it works when actually preformed on stage or film. The characters are so perfectly created within their aristocratic society. Lady Bracknell is the epitome of a lady and her humor, though she is not trying to be funny, is classic. The words do all the work. The characters just speak and as long as the lines are taken/given as canversationalthe entire play is nonstop laughs. The satire dealing with issues of class, love, money, and character has probably never been written as subtle or as well as Wilde has done with this play. The plot is humorous in its self. The whole concept of "Burnburying" to get around your obligations as a Gentleman and the problems it causes for Algernon and Jack. The shifty love story that carries the play is at times unbelievable but if you consider the farcicalnature of the play it is easily overlooked. The ending, although I won't give it away, is another classic example of a well written play. The twists and turns along the way that end up confronting the truth make the finish well worth your time. That's not to say that the rest of the play isn't great. If you're a fan of this type of comedy I would highly recommend not only buying this book but seeing it preformed as well.

Rating:
Summary: The Importance of Great Literature
Review: The Importance of Being Ernest is Oscar's finest work that I have ever read. After sitting through a seemingly unbearable adaptation of The Ideal Husband, it was refreshing to once again discover the wit of Oscar Wilde. All of the social criticism and delightful cynicism that is always prevelant in Wilde's work is masterly employeed in this play. The play was compelling in that it always keeps the reader interested. There is never a dull moment in the story of Algernon Moncrief and John Worthing, two members of the English upper class who get entangled in their own lies. Each man assumes the Identity of Ernest Worthing, a fictional creation used to escape the dreariness of everyday life, an act which catches up to them eventually. These two men are then forced to explain their deceptions to their fiances who know them only as Ernest. The story is filled with clever plot twists that make it a real enjoyment to read. The Importance of Being Ernest is a masterpiece of intelligent comedies. To compare it to anything else would be to do it an injustice. This classic is timeless and I would recommend it to anyone. It makes reading pleasurable and leaves you wanting more which is the importance of great literature.

Rating:
Summary: Earnest or not?
Review: The play "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde is a very funny play on British society in the late 1800?s and early 1900?s. The verbal barbs and jabs thrown by friends Jack and Algernon are quite amusing and quick-witted throughout the play. The idea that two women would be shallow enough to only want to marry a man named Earnest is just mind boggling, since the word earnest is almost 180° opposite the shallowness of the ladies. The mother is an interesting character in that she will not let her daughter marry the son of a "hand bag", this adds a little break from the gentlemen?s verbal assault on one another and allows the reader to catch their breath. The ending is quite funny but I will not give it away, you must do yourself a favor and read the play.

Rating:
Summary: A Play to be Recommended
Review: The story is about the two dandies Algernon and Jack who invented an imaginary person to have an excuse to go to country or to town. Both of them fall in love, but because of the double personality of Algernon and Jack there is a lot of confusion. At the everything clears up and there is a happy ending. We liked to read the book and can recommend it to everyone. It is really very funny. The characters talk a lot of paradoxical things. Oscar Wilde plays with the adjective earnest and the name Ernest. The motto of the play is: "In matters of great importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing." Oscar Wilde said once: " We should treat all the trivial things of life very seriously, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality." At the beginning everything they talk about seems to be nonsense, but if you think about it you see that some things they say are quite rig

Rating:
Summary: A hilarious look at Wilde's wittier side!
Review: This book had me laughing almost the whole time I was reading it. This is a good book, great for older children to adults, and is sure to at least amuse the most humorless individual.

Rating:
Summary: One of the funniest things ever written
Review: This has to be one of the funniest things I have ever read. I have read it a dozen times at least. You can read this little piece of heaven in 3 hours or less. The dialogue is great and is never boring or drawn out. I don't think this play will ever get old. Now if only I could find it being performed somewhere...

Rating:
Summary: One of the funniest things ever written
Review: This has to be one of the funniest things I have ever read. I have read it a dozen times at least. You can read this little piece of heaven in 3 hours or less. The dialogue is great and is never boring or drawn out. I don't think this play will ever get old. Now if only I could find it being performed somewhere...

Rating:
Summary: Oscar Wilde is amazingly funny
Review: This is a serious commedy and classic that nobody should miss.Please read it you will have a serious good time laughing and having so much fun you will not be able to put the book down.
Wilde is amazing